Florida law enforcement comes under scrutiny for repeatedly using anti-Islam trainer

Sam Kharoba fancies himself an “expert” on terrorism. The Jordanian-born Kharoba, a Christian, believes the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, is a “pedophile, a serial killer, a rapist.” And he’s teaching the police officers of Florida, where he is based, these claims in courses on Islam and terrorism.

But a coalition of 30 Muslim organizations is now raising the heat on Kharoba and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). A detailed letter sent this month to the FDLE commissioner outlines Kharoba’s anti-Muslim statements and demands that “Kharoba be removed from your approved list of trainers and not be approved to train anyone associated with the FDLE.”

The letter comes after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Florida obtained public records documenting the training given by Kharoba. According to the group, Kharoba has trained police officers in Florida at least 21 times from 2005-2012. The letter also states that “Kharoba has neither the academic nor the operational background to qualify as a subject matter expert on either Islam or countering violent extremism.”

The revelations about Kharoba’s trainings, paid for with taxpayer money, come over a year after a lengthy Washington Monthlyexpose of Kharoba and the larger industry of self-styled “experts” on terrorism that defame Islam and Muslims. Among Kharoba’s outrageous statements that the outlet highlighted:

When you have a Muslim that wears a headband, regardless of color or insignia, basically what that is telling you is ‘I am willing to be a martyr.’

Islam is a highly violent radical religion that mandates that all of the earth must be Muslim.

Anyone who says that Islam is a religion of peace, is either ignorant or flat out lying.

The best way to handle these people is what I call legal harassment

The FDLE is reviewing the Muslim coalition’s concerns, but a spokeswoman also told a Florida newspaper that “We have utilized [Kharoba] in the past as a counter-terrorism instructor and received positive feedback on those taking the course, no complaints.”

The letter highlights some damning features of that feedback. One law enforcement agent said that, after taking Kharoba’s class, he or she was “going to make sure we have completed survey of existing ME/Muslim population and have a clearer understanding of their properties.” Another said: “This can be very useful knowing that Shiite is more radical than Sunni.”

A FDLE public information officer, Keith Kameg, offered no new information in a brief interview, saying that the department is “reviewing” the coalition’s concerns and that they have received “positive feedback” from officers who had trained under Kharoba.

Questions have also been raised about Kharoba’s credentials. As Florida journalist Cristela Guerra recently wrote, Kharoba has “no official certification in counterterrorism or degree in Middle Eastern studies, let alone experience in the military or law enforcement…Kharoba bases his qualifications on his life experience in Amman, Jordan.” Guerra also reported that while a spokeswoman for Florida law enforcement “emphasized [that] Kharoba is not certified in counterterrorism training,” he was allowed to teach because he was “granted an exception to work in FDLE-sanctioned training centers.”

Kharoba was also the subject of a 2005 complaint filed by a Muslim law enforcement officer with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. The commission found that “the instructor made numerous statements and comments offensive to complainant based on his religion (Muslim).”

Nezar Hamze, the executive director of CAIR’s Florida branch, said that a meeting with Florida law enforcement officials over this issue will likely be held after Ramadan.

Ha, ha, this is where the throngs who fled muslim rule fled. Plenty of Copts etc. here that scorn muslims.

//anon 30 July 2012 at 12:50 pm

How about instead of spying on and collecting data on every brown-skinned person in the US with an Arabic name, we use those resources to track weapons purchases, bomb-making materials, etc. The Colorado shooter was able to arm himself more heavily than most small town police departments over the internet. If that isn’t a gaping hole in our national security, I don’t know what is. So how about we start keeping track of a couple thousand weapons instead of a couple million innocent people.

//siyaj k'ak 30 July 2012 at 1:01 pm

Yes, the buyers of such things should be tracked no matter what their name is. The VA Tech shooter was a certified crazy person, on a list available to gun shops, they still supplied him.

As you may notice many people in the US designated as white for their Euro features and hair, are actually quite as brown as those designated as brown.

//anon 30 July 2012 at 1:17 pm

Obviously this guy is not qualified. He has no knowledge of Muhammad’s pbuh background and life. He Muhammad pbuh is voted the best man ever by many non Muslims who ARE EXTREMELY EDUCATED. Get rid of him.

//Gabriel 30 July 2012 at 4:53 pm

I will not condone what this man may say but I have a Question.

How do you think Muslims treated this man when he lived in Jordan? Is there any possibility that what he teaches is in any way influenced by his experiences with Muslims in Jordan? Could this be a lesson for Muslims that if you treat people badly in a situation in which they have no power, that they may say hateful things about Muslims and Islam when their life, liberty, or chance of happiness is no longer being threatned? Once again the Bible is proved correct: one reaps what they sow many times over.

//criley401 30 July 2012 at 9:10 pm

siyajk’ak,

“If that isn’t a gaping hole in our national security, I don’t know what is.” so you are an american? hum. dude, seriously? i know people with more than 50,000 rounds of amo. i know 3 people with ar-15s. it is good to have a fairly well armed populace. just ask the syrians.
“The Colorado shooter was able to arm himself more heavily than most small town police departments over the internet.” first, the small town police could arm themselves as much as they want, as long as they are willing to spend the money. second, what does the internet have to do with anything? you can buy amo and guns at stores all over the place. have you ever been to a gun show?

looks like you read the article where the author compares a colorado muslim being on the radar as opposed to the batman shooter. you do understand the differance between domestic surveillance laws and international surveillance?

“So how about we start keeping track of a couple thousand weapons instead of a couple million innocent people.” lol. you do know there are over 200 million guns in america. there is a gun for ever 83 out of 100 americans.

so you still think “there is nothing inherently wrong” with marring a post-pubescent 12 year-old? as long as she consents of course.

//mike 30 July 2012 at 10:01 pm

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